Coulee Pioneer Museum display marks Kennedy killing

A collection of Kennedy dolls is on display at the Coulee Pioneer Museum in Electric City. The collection is owned by Constance Wilson, right, from Coulee Dam. With her is Birdie Hensley from Electric City. The museum this week features a notebook with comments from people about where they were when they learned that President John F. Kennedy was shot. The notebook is available at the museum for people to drop by and leave their recollections. - Roger S. Lucas photo

If you are old enough, do you remember where you were on Nov. 22, 1963, when the nation and the world was informed that President John F. Kennedy was shot?

You can record your recollections of that date and incident at the Coulee Pioneer Museum in Electric City in a special notebook there.

The notebook was placed there along with a collection of Kennedy dolls owned by Constance Wilson, a Coulee Dam resident. The collection has attracted some attention by museum visitors.

The museum is open from 10-2 on Thursdays and Fridays.

Wilson was the first to recall where she was and how she got the news:

"I was in chemistry lab at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks, Alaska. The vice principal came to the door and beckoned the teacher over. The teacher asked us to return to our seats and then announced that the president had been shot."

Also posting a note was Electric City resident Steve Salstrom, who wrote: "I was in class at Miller Junior High in Aberdeen, Wa., when the intercom went off with the announcement."

Susan Miller, former chamber of commerce manager, wrote: "I was a junior at Grand Coulee High School when I heard."

Birdie Hensley, who coordinates activity at the museum, noted: "I was going to Edison Trade School in Seattle when I heard the news."

Marcia Warnecke wrote: "I was 10 and in school at Mansfield. We all had to go outside to lower the flag."

Linda Zlateff left her memory note: "I was in junior high at Coulee Dam. Very sad day."

Linda Esmond said she heard the announcement while in junior high in Riverside, Calif.

Judy Lynd stated: "I was in 8th grade at Coulee Dam Junior High (Columbia School) now Coulee Dam Credit Union. During break between classes went outside and there was Martha Graham Patty Kale and Pam Everts sitting on railing and crying. They told me."

Jerry Beierman stated that he was at the NAPA Auto Parts store on Main Street in Grand Coulee when he received the news.

There's plenty of time to record your place and circumstance in the museum's Kennedy log book.

There are a number of displays that should be of interest to local citizens.